Wurst Adventure

Welcome to the Gastrochemist’s Wurst Adventure! I am excited to announce that I have been awarded a Fulbright grant for my day job as a scientist, and will be traveling to Switzerland to do some fascinating cutting edge research.

The really cool thing about the Fulbright is that it was created in order to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the citizens of different nations. So, while the majority of my grant proposal was scientific, a part of it discussed how I would engage with the local community of meat curing artisans in Switzerland.

I’ve decided to do this by researching the Swiss 14 traditional IGP + 11 Slow Food Foundation Endangered Heritage cured meat products. I plan to research these products, travel to the areas where they’re made, and consume them in the traditional manner. Stay tuned for updates and future posts!

Fulbright Disclaimer. This is not an official Department of State website or blog, and the views and information presented are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Program of the U.S. Department of State.

Name: Ficazza or Sazinella or Salame di Tonno Region: Sicily, particularly the Trapani region, in places such as the island of Favignana History: Sicily has a long history of tuna fishing… particularly on the west coast by the city of Trapani. The city of Trapani, originally founded by the Phoenicians, has a long history as…

Name: Mostbröckli Region: Appenzell History: Mostbröckli is a smoked and dry cured meat product made from beef in the Appenzeller region of Switzerland. Historically, the Appenzeller farmers were very active in the dairy industry, which accounts for the use for beef to make this product as opposed to the more expensive (at the time) pork….

Name: Saucisse d’Ajoie IGP Region: The district of Porrentruy History: The saucisse d’Ajoie is a particularly famous smoked pork saucisse spiced with garlic and cumin seeds. The IGP protected saucisse comes only from the Porrentruy district in the Jura, while others made in the Jura but not in the Porrentruy area are often referred to…

Name: St Galler Bratwurst aka St Galler Kalbsbratwurst aka OLMA Bratwurst Region: St. Gallen/Appenzell History: First and foremost, the most vital thing to know about the St. Galler Bratwurst is that you do NOT eat it with mustard. Seriously, don’t. I did a lot of research about this one, and it appears as though this…

The Official Saucisse Aux Choux Vaudoise IGP Name: Saucisse aux choux vaudoise Region: Vaud History: The origin story of the saucisse aux choux vaudoise has its roots in legend. It’s said that the saucisse owes its invention to the town of Orbe during the middle ages, around the year 879. The Emperor Charles the Fat was…